We need a new prosecuting attorney

I have read Mr Bergman’s letter in response to Ms. Rye on Dec. 19th, 2017. Angry does not even begin to describe my feelings. In that letter, it states that Mr Strom has done a number of positive things for Delta County, but not one mention of protecting the citizens or our young children who are the most vulnerable members of the county. Just recently there was a case at the courthouse where a 32 year old man raped a five year old little girl, with DNA evidence. And he got a “not guilty” verdict. How is that possible? I searched the Daily Press archives and found that Prosecutor Strom only appeared in one circuit court jury trial in 2017, and the jury returned a not guilty verdict on all four charges that Mr Strom had brought against the defendant. That is telling me that the prosecuting attorney is not doing his job, and most likely the rest of the staff in that office is doing all of his work.

Just like that very important case, where the justice of a 5 year old girl hung in the balance. She got no justice and no protection from Mr Strom. Was this one of the positive things done by Mr Strom? As our elected prosecutor, why are his assistants doing his job? They are horribly overworked. After the case of the 5 year old little girl on Dec. 14, on Dec. 18, his office also tried a drunk driving jury trial, again not guilty verdict was returned. And again Mr Strom’s overworked assistants had to take on that case as well. I understand that a prosecutor’s office can be busy, but for Mr Strom as the county’s elected prosecutor to only try one circuit court case in 2017 is hard to fathom, and it is obviously not fair for his assistant prosecutors getting stuck trying all the rest of the cases. Mr Bergman said it was not fair to to critique Mr Strom to one specific case? Two losses in one week by that office, and one a rape to a 5 year old girl with DNA evidence is enough to make me sick.

Mr Strom was elected to protect the citizens of Delta County and he failed to do that. Not only did he fail to do that, he failed to show up and even try the cases and left it to his overworked assistant. Once the 32 year old man who raped the 5 year old is found not guilty, he is free to do what he wishes. What did Mr Strom have to do that was more important than defending this 5 year old little girl? What has Mr Strom been doing? Not trying cases for Delta County is obvious.